The Tornado 300 is the first supersport to come from Benelli after over a decade and will be locally assembled when it goes on sale in the country later this year.
The Benelli pavilion has some very interesting exhibits lined up for showcase at the ongoing 2016 Auto Expo and grabbing some serious attention is the new Tornado 300 quarter-litre supersport motorcycle. The Tornado 300 is the first full-fairing from the Italian-Chinese automaker in over a decade and is underpinned by the same frame as the TNT 300.
The model will be going on sale later this year to compete in an extremely power packed segment comprising of the Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha R3 and KTM RC 390. Revealed at the EICMA motorcycle show last year, the Benelli Tornado 300 is seen at the Auto Expo in its production guise with the slightly reworked front fascia while the fairing gets a host of changes as well.
That said, the exposed frame receives our appreciation while the tail section is neatly contoured and incorporates all details very well lending a big bike feel. The fuel tank is angular and riding position is not too aggressive making the Tornado more of a sports tourer. The bike rides on 110/70 and 150/60 at the front and rear 17-inch Metzeler tyres wrapped around the star-shaped alloy wheels.
Talking about the mechanicals, the Benelli Tornado 300 uses a 300cc, twin-cylinder motor that punches out 35.4 PS at a higher 12,000 RPM and 27 Nm of torque at 9000 RPM, mated to a 6-speed transmission. The hefty dry weight of 180 kgs makes it lighter than the TNT 300 and gets 50:50 weight distribution.
The top speed is a claimed 170 km/hr. Further, the bike comes with 260 mm dual front petal discs and a single 240 mm rear disc with ABS offered as standard. With Benelli aggressive on its local operations, the Tornado 300 will also be assembled in the country keeping prices a little over Rs. 3 lakhs (ex-showroom) when it hits the showrooms this year.
Benelli Tornado 300
– The first fully-faired bike from Benelli in a long time
– Powered by a 300cc, twin-cylinder engine
– It will be priced in the whereabouts of Rs. 3 lakhs (ex-showroom)
